A Brief

History of

Motorcycle

Patches

“The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.”

Patches, or colors, as they’re

more commonly known, are

traditionally worn on biker cut-

offs and identify bikers by their

club affiliation and location.

As motorcycling has become

more popular in recent years,

so have patches and

motorcycle related gear.

Patches identifying with

specific brands, such as Harley-

Davidson are popular. Artex

Group provides custom

patches, including Harley

patches.

“Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders

pick a direction and go.”

Patches derived from “best-

dressed” contests held by

motorcycle clubs in the 1940s.

Some of the rowdier clubs differentiated themselves from

other clubs by cutting club patches

into three pieces.

• The top rocker consisted of the

club’s name.

• The center of the patch had the

club’s crest.

• The bottom identified the biker or his club’s home city.

“Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't.

Some can't.”

A few pointers on patches:

• One-piece patches

typically represent families

or social clubs.

• Two-piece patches can

have a variety of

meanings.

• Three-piece patches are

typically used to identify a

traditional motorcycle

club.

“You start the game with a full pot o' luck and an empty pot o' experience...

The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck.”

Patches can often also

denote rank in a biker club.

Probationary members,

called prospects, may have

patches identifying this

status, while full members of

the club will have other

patches.

The practice of using

patches to denote rank will

vary from club to club.

“We are a group of complete individuals, and I mean individuals. Everyone

of us has a different reason for being who we are. The only thing we agree

on is our love for the club. That, and our love for motorcycles.”

Patch Etiquette 101

Never touch a biker’s patches

without permission. Many bikers

worked hard to earn these

patches from their clubs.

Never ask to wear a biker’s kutte,

or cut-off.

Always ask permission before

photographing a biker in his

colors.

“God didn't create metal so that man could make

paper clips!”

Harley-Davidson patches are very

popular among the biking public. One

of the most respected names in biking,

Harley-Davidson has a century-old

reputation for producing dependable,

reliable and just dead sexy motorcycles.

The brand has become synonymous

with the romanticized biker lifestyle, and

Harley patches help biking enthusiasts

show their love for this iconic brand.

“Maintenance is as much art as it is science.”

Why Custom Patches?

• Get the design you want

• Differentiate your club

from other clubs

• Create a stock of

patches for your club

• Establish an identity for

your club

How Custom Patches Are Made

Artex creates patches by taking

the art you or our art department

has created and digitizing the

work. Once that’s done, the image

is transmitted to our embroidery

machines that follow a thorough

plan by our digitizers to create your

patch using high quality thread

and materials. When that’s done,

the work is laminated, detailed and

inspected.

About Artex Group

Artex Group manufactures custom patches and apparel for a variety of clients, including law enforcement and emergency responders, youth organizations, motorcycle clubs and more. Our

talented artists can produce just about any image for use on custom apparel or patches, and we

have the latest technology to make quality goods.

To learn more, visit http://www.artexgroup.net/ or call 866.845.1042.